Morning journal and courier., 1887-06-21
THAT Rig PARAnE.
Remarks Retrospective I'm aHar<ford
Paper.

Paper.
The Hartford Courant says regarding the
lunch arrangements at East Rock Park, Me-
mortal day, and speaks comparatively re-
garding the greatness Of the affair ss follows:
The different commands had no specified
tables assigned to them, and the consequence
was that the first in took possession of the
entire tent and wasted and threw away what
they did not eat. The contrast between this
performance and the orderly and comfortable
arrangements of Memorial Arch day in this
city was very great. Here every man had a
seat at table, crockery plate and coffee cup,
a substantial lunch, including all the hot
coffee he could drink and cigar. And the
same was true of Buckingham day
But this refers only to the official misman-
agement. The hospitality extended by the
New Haven military companies to their mill
tary visitors was liberal and hearty. The
only wonder was they could find time to do
so much after such a fatiguing day. The
New Haven Foot and Horse Guards respect
lively entertained the Hartford companies at
capacious tables, where the tired men had
comfortable seats and enjoyed good dinners.
The Grays took care of the Phalanx and of
the City Guard and Company K, the New
Haven City Guard made night of it with
the Germania Guard of this city, the occasion
being improved by Captain Schulze to pre-
sent to the New Haven company the hand
some picture of the Germanias which was
on exhibition last week at Eckhardts. The
Sarsfeld Guard entertained the Hillyers.
The question is asked, How did the day
compare with Battle Flag day, Buckingham
day and Memorial Arch day? The reply is
that it was an entirely different affair. All
the Hartford parades have been made with
the idea of making the veteran feature the
prominent thing The parade has been linn
tied to the veterans of the war and such mil
itary organizations as would take part without
special expense to the State No attemptwas
ever made to have the entire brigade in line,
or if it was suggested It was not favored lest
it should dwarf or interfere with the old
soldier feature. And civic societies, Sunday
schools, barges, etc., have been excluded.
Moreover, on the first two occasions named
the old soldiers marched with their old reg
mental organizations, and there is no
other method that satisfies the rank and
file. They can march any day of the week
with their townsmen and post comrades, but
the opportunities for marching with the
comrades of the field rare and are very
highly priced. The Hartford parades were
thus old soldier and sailor affairs and thus
appealed to sentiment different from that
of the ordinary Fourth of July omnium
gatherum. Battle Flag day, with its peculiar
associations, was such day as was never
seen before in the State and probably anoth-
er like it will not be seen for century. And
then. if we do say it oughtn't to, we think
there was less delay, fewer blunders and
more general satisfaction. But New Ravens
parade was bigger, was grand pageant and
Notwithstanding all criticism was great
success taken as a whole. And it was better
managed than the Grant funeral parade in
New York.
CAPTAIN D. S. THOMAS TO TEE FRONT.
Captain D. S. Thomas has issued the fol-
lowing report de Monument day parade,
which is in the captains characteristic vein
of humor:
The criticisms upon the parade and the
manner of providing for guests on the 18th
inst. calls for some explanation from the
subcommittee having the matter in charge.
Your committee regret the long and tedi-
GUS wait on Orange street and find it was
caused by the great length of the line, which
extended much farther than was expected.
Your committee are positive that the res
viewing officers, Generals Sheridan, Sher-
man, Terry, Governor Lounsbu1y and others,
lost no time in reaching the head of the col
umn; indeed, they left the reviewing stand
before the sixth division had passed.
In the matter of providing for guests, your
committee had nothing to do with feeding
the military. So far providing for the
veterans is concerned, your committee feels
that ali was done possible under the circum-
stances. When all was over there was left
eighty gallons of good coffee to throw away,
while two thousand ham sandwiches were
sent to the city and distributed among the
poor.
After giving the subject the most careful
consideration, your committee find that the
reasons why the procession was so late in
reaching East Rock Park were:
First-It did not start early enough, and
Second-It stopped too long on the way.
In the matter of provisions your commit
tee find:
First-Complaints come mainly from men
who, when in the army, were on detail ser
vice, viz: acting as orderlies, nurses in hos
pitfalls, teamsters and clerks at headquarters.
Second-But little, if any, grumbling has
been heard from soldiers who were on duty
at the front, whether in camp, on picket, on
the march or in battle, and who are familiar
with the standard army ration, or know any
thing about the kind and quantity of food
issued from rebel prisons.
Third-The shortage on doughnuts was
not the fault of the committee. Your COM
mittee did not contemplate any prolonged
game of base ball in the supply tent. But
the two impromptu mines organized by the
comrades were about equally matched and
the closely contested innings used up the
doughnuts faster than was expected. They
disappeared on the "Rapid Transit" princi-
pie, the same principle adopted by Comrade
D. S. Thomas in his job printing Office, No.
ISL Chapel street, where he shows his Gus
toners proof in about twenty minutes.
Your committee submit this final report
and beg to be discharged. Respectfully,
THE COMMITTEE.